Automatic railway-signal.



PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905- J. P.- PHILLIPS. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL. Arrmcnxon FILED MAY 19. 1905.

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APPLIUATION FILED MAY 19. 1905.

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" UNI D sTATRs PATENT oFRIoR.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed May 19,1905. Serial No. 261,195.

To all whom, it may concern.-

' by a moving railway-train for giving sound and visual signals automatically.

The object of the invention is to provide, in

an automaticdanger-signal, novel and peculiar means controlled'by a railway-train to setand unset the signals.

A further object of the invention is to'provide, in a railway signaling device, a shaft having a disk loosely mounted thereon and connected thereto by a spiral spring to permit movement of the disk in one direction without turning the shaft and to permit the shaft and the disk to turn together in the other direction, a trip mechanism connectedto the shaft for setting the signals, and a pivoted frog-lever for displacing the signal. In this class of signaling various devices and apparatus have heretofore been employed in producing the same results; but, as far as known to me, the herein-disclosed mechanism, with its constructlon and arrangement to effect automatic placing of signals by a railway-train to protect the safe passage of the latter and automatic displacement of the signals by such train in its passage therefrom, has not heretofore been produced. It is therefore the purpose of this invention to make such simple and permanent arrangement of devices as willafford automatic operation therein, whereby the disadvantages and objections found in various other signaling devices of this class may be entirely overcome. I a

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a track-section with the invention applied, showing the apparatus in position for clear track. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing apparatus in position at danger-signal. Fig. 3 is a top plan view taken with the apparatus in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line ar-w,-Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar viewon the line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is 'a perspective view of the disk.

The same numeral references denote th same parts throughout the several views of a the drawings.

Although but one signal and operating mechanism will be herein referred to, it is obvious that at crossings and in railway-curves any number of signals may be employed and the operating mechanism duplicated.

Pivoted to the rail 1 are a pair of tracklevers 2, having a spring 3 under them, and theotherends thereof are connected by a link 4, which permits a toggle-lever movement. Each lever 2 is provided with a guide-arm 5, working through a guide 6, and thetoggle ends of the levers areprovided with a depending U-shaped' hanger 7, having an arm 8. A shaft 9, having a stop-pin 10, engaged by a projection 1 to limit its turn, is journaled at right angles to the track opposite the link 4 and is provided with a spiral spring llfattached at one end to the shaft and at the other end to a disk 12,. loosely mounted on the shaft and having a stop-notch 13 to engage a pin 14 on the shaft, so as to stop the independent movement of the disk. The pin 10 when engaged by the disk-notch locks the disk to the shaft that they may be turned together in one direction, and the pin 10 stops the movement of the shaft in reverse direction, while the movement of the disk in this direction may be continued without moving the shaft. The disk is provided with arms 15, having rollers 16, positioned under the hanger-arms 8, so

that when one or the other of the track-levers is depressed its arm 8 engages the rollerunder it, while the other roller is moved clear of its arm.

The trip device comprises a lever 17 pivoted adjacent to a signal-post 18 and having an extension 19 working against said post, a projection 20 working through a slot 21 in a slidable'plate 22, controlled by a spiral spring 23, and a spiral spring 24 to retract the lever 17. a The plate 22 is connected to the shaft 9 by a wire, small cable, or other suitable connections 25 for operating the lever 17. The signal-post has a slide 26, provided with a lateral projection 27, working through a slot 28 in the side of the post. The semaphore 29 is counterweighted and pivoted to the slide, and

the latter is raised by a rod 30, having a frog 31, operated by the flange of the car-wheels to throw the-semaphore out of use. The slide is held in raised position by the extension 19. The said semaphore is set to display danger or occupancy of the track by the depression of the outer track-lever, or the one farthest from the signal, by'the wheel-flange of a train entering the signal-section, whereupon the trip is worked by the shaft 9 and permits the slide to drop and the semaphore to stand vertically.

It is obvious that the inner track-lever may be depressed without turning the shaft and without operating the trip or signal.

At the entrance of the signal-section may be placed a sound-signal or bell operated by a rod having a frog attached in the path of the car-Wheels in duplication of the frog and its rod hereinbefore described. It is proposed to use a semaphore having a white lens provided with a red back, so that when the headlight of an engine is directed thereon a red light will be reflected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination with a slide contained in a signalpost and having a lateral projection through the post, a semaphore pivoted to the slide, a track-frog having a bar to raise the slide, and the trip device to hold the slide in raised position, of the track-levers, and means connecting the levers with the trip to operate the latter.

2. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with the connected track-levers pivoted with springs thereunder, a shaft provided with stop-pins, a notched disk loose upon the shaft and connected thereto by a spiral spring, arms projecting from the disk,

and arms carried by the said levers to operate the disk and shaft, of a semaphore-trip, and means connecting the shaft with the trip to operate the latter.

3. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a signal-post, a slide having a semaphore pivoted thereto, and a projection on the slide extending laterally through the post, of a track-frog, and a pivoted bar extending from the frog and working under the slide to raise the latter and drop the semaphore.

4c. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a semaphore-slide having a lateral projection, a semaphore-blade pivoted to the slide, and the frog-bar to raise the slid e, of the trip device, and means for operating the said device to drop the slide and raise the semaphore.

5. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a shaft at right angles to the railway and having stop-pins, a disk loose upon the shaft, a spiral spring connecting the shaft and disk, and the arms projecting from the disk, of the pivoted track-levers connected together and having springs thereunder, and the arms carried by the said levers to engage the disk-arms for operating the disk and shaft.

6. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a shaft at right angles to the railway and provided with stop-pins a springcontrolled disk turnable in one direction with the shaft and in the reverse direction inde pendent of the shaft, and arms projecting from the disk, of the pivoted track-levers having arms to engage the disk-arms for operating the shaft and disk.

7. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with the shaft controlled by a stop, a disk loose upon the shaft and controlled in its movement in one direction by a pin on the shaft, a spiral spring to limit the disk in its reverse movement, and arms projecting from the disk, of the track-levers having springs under them and the arms carried by the said levers to engage the disk-levers for operating the shaft and disk.

8. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a shaft, the shaft-disk, means for operating the same, a vertical slide having a semaphore-blade pivoted thereto, and a track-frog having a bar for raising the slide and dropping the semaphore, of the trip device connected to and operated by the said shaft to drop the slide and raise the somaphore.

9. In an automatic railway-signal, the 00111- bination, with a signal-post, a slide working in the post and having a projection extending laterally through the post, and a semaphore pivoted to. the slide, of a frog-bar to raise the slide and drop the blade, a trip device to hold the slide and blade in this position, and means for operating the trip device to place the slide and blade in reverse position.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB PARKER PHILLIPS.

vWitnesses:

M. M. BATY, F. L. BRYAN. 

